KENYA: Catholic Bishops Call on Political Aspirants to “Focus on Equitable Development”
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
There is need for political aspirants contesting for various elective seats towards the forthcoming general elections in Kenya to “focus on equitable development in their manifestos…and speak up loudly and consistently,” Catholic bishops have expressed as they prepare voters to scrutinize well the people to be elected as future leaders.
“We advocate for innovative development from the aspirants that will spur growth and offer job opportunities for our unemployed youth; provide accessible and affordable medical care for all; support sustainable food production; those who show care for the environment and those who will promote systems that bring inclusivity in the financial sector,” Members of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), said in their collective press statement shared Sunday, June 5.
They added, “Let us be inspired by the Church’s teaching, that development is another name for peace. For us to live in peace after the elections, we need to focus on equitable development.”
The bishops have purposed to accompany Kenyans towards the August 9 poll, by offering short weekly reflections every Sunday on pertinent issues during the electioneering period which is ongoing.
“We, your Bishops, in these difficult times, wish to address to you every Sunday, a simple message to help us walk this journey to the General Elections, with clear minds, clear conscience and readiness to safeguard the peace and unity of our country,” reads an excerpt of the message from the Church leaders.
In their Sunday message, the prelates reminded voters of their right and “people power’ to ask political candidates to speak language of development and warned them (voters) to shun from aspirants who are “making unrealistic promises, hurling insults, and making outbursts or inciting voters against opposing aspirants,” for such aspirants are nod promoting the development agenda of the country.
Since voting should offer chance for the betterment of the country the bishops said, “It is a time for renewal; it is a time when we audit how well our elected leaders in the outgoing regime performed; it is a time to decide what kind of development we want and who is best suited to work with us to achieve that development.”
They continued, “We need aspirants to articulate their agenda beginning with the Ward, Constituency, County all the way to the National level,” and called on the voters to scrutinize profiles of the aspirants, “Particularly cross-check what experience or prospective network they have in the kind of the development agenda they propose; their development blueprint if elected and the viability of development they are proposing.”
According to the bishops in their collective press statement, some proposals by the political aspirants are “superfluous and if implemented, will leave our country poorer and worse off,” hence warned voters to reject such proposals as “some are just empty promises.”
They acknowledged that some aspirants mean well in their agenda and manifest great leadership qualities encouraging all voters “to focus on this kind of development-conscious aspirants.”
The bishops therefore called on the voters to continue praying for the country to have peaceful elections and for the Lord to touch the leaders to “put the country first and self, second.”
They further promised to pray “that we run peaceful campaigns that are more issue-based and less personality-driven, and to respect outcomes of the elections at all levels.”
“May our Mother Mary, intercede for our Nation to have peaceful elections in August, and may she intercede for all of us to love one another and live together peacefully and united as a Nation. And may “plenty be found within our borders,” they concluded.
